Lee De Paauw, 18, is the fella who dove into the Johnstone River -- and, yes, alcohol may have been a factor. He admits he had 10 cups of goon. That's Australian for wine, mate.

De Paauw, who called the woman a backpacker -- that's a tourist -- explained to a local radio show that he was thinking with this heart, not his head. "I just wanted to show the backpacker. I got her number and her name is Sophie." Sophie Paterson, to be precise. She's 24, so, yeah, Lee had to go big in order to impress an older woman from another country.

After he got into the water, the creature pounced by grabbing him by the arm. "It took me out about six meters from the wharf. I hit it once on the nose, it loosened a bit. I got another hit in and it was right on its eye. I was lucky because it just dropped me."

Some friends then reeled in De Paauw, who was soaked in blood.

A rescue official confirmed the water is known to be a popular spot for crocodiles.

De Paauw, meanwhile, doesn't see why his actions have made him the butt of many jokes. "Haters gonna hate," he says. Maybe he has a point -- after all, he did get a date with Sophie.